Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday denied an incident from over a decade ago involving his dog Konni and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In 2007, Putin was accused of intentionally using his black Labrador to intimidate Merkel during a meeting.
Merkel revealed in her new memoir “Freedom” that knowing Putin sometimes brought his pet to meetings with foreign dignitaries, she had requested his team in the previous year not to bring Konni in her presence as she was afraid of dogs.
During their meeting in Moscow in 2006, Putin respected her request but gifted her a large fluffy dog, assuring it was not aggressive. However, the following year in Sochi, the big dog confidently entered the meeting room in front of journalists and approached Merkel, making the German Chancellor visibly uncomfortable.
When asked about the incident on Thursday, Putin denied knowing Merkel’s fear of dogs and claimed to have apologized to her afterward.
“To be honest, I have told Merkel that I did not know she was scared of dogs. If I had known, I would not have done that,” Putin told reporters at a press conference. “On the contrary, I wanted to create a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere.”
The meeting took place at Putin’s Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, with the agenda focusing on ensuring energy supply for Europe.
Putin stated that if (though unlikely) Merkel were to visit again, he “definitely would not do it again.”
“I would once again request her and say, ‘Angela, please forgive me. I do not want to cause you any pain,'” he said.
Merkel described the incident in her book as a “challenge.”
“I tried not to pay attention to the dog, even though it was right next to me,” she wrote. “I interpreted Putin’s expression as him finding it amusing.”
“Was he just testing how someone reacts in a difficult situation? Was it a display of power in a small way? I just thought: stay calm, look at the photographer, and everything will pass,” she added.